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BALLROOM DANCE LESSON
AN INTRODUCTION TO LATIN HIP MOTION

UNDERSTANDING THE LEARNING PROCESS

Teaching new motor skills to your body is not as simple as memorizing a list of dates in your history class. For a newly-learned movement to become automatic, you must move it from you conscious brain to your unconscious brain. The only way to do this is through repetition. The less familiar a movement is to your natural tendencies, the more practice and repetition will be required to achieve it. With each repetition, you will become more and more familiar with the movement and positions until little or no conscious effort is required.

The exercises on the previous two pages are intended to give you the experience necessary to move up to the next level. Take the exercises very seriously... don't skim easily through them. The next step in the learning process depends heavily on this one. Work through the exercises thoroughly and diligently, taking the time to make the movement completely automatic, including every detail listed in the "Things to Remember" section. If you do this, Latin motion will seem as easy as tying your shoes.

WHAT'S NEXT....

Future lessons in Latin hip motion will use the skills learned in this one and apply them to fundamental movements such as forward and backward walks, chasses, and breaks in both American and International styles. These fundamental movements are the basic building blocks from which all of the basic Rumba, Cha Cha and Mambo figures are built.

- END OF LESSON -

[ Home | Overview | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Exercise 1 | Exercise 2 | Final Thoughts ]